In Munich, Pence Says U.S. Commitment to NATO Is ‘Unwavering’

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Speaking from the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Mike Pence and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany give their views on the future of NATO, relations with Russia and the fight against terrorism.Published OnFeb. 18, 2017CreditCreditPhilipp Guelland/European Pressphoto Agency

MUNICH — Bearing what he said was a message from President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence told anxious European political and security leaders on Saturday that “the United States of America strongly supports NATO and will be unwavering in our commitment to this trans-Atlantic alliance.”

But while offering that assurance to European partners alarmed by Mr. Trump’s rise, along with some tough words on Russia and Ukraine, Mr. Pence also warned that Europe must increase its military spending in a dangerous world, saying, “As you keep faith with us, under President Trump, we will always keep faith with you.”

The NATO treaty demands not only collective defense but a vow to “contribute our fair share to our common defense,” Mr. Pence, making his first overseas trip as vice president, said at an annual security conference here.

“That pledge has gone unfulfilled for too many for too long and erodes the very foundation of our alliance,” he said. He echoed an early theme of Mr. Trump, who has said he believes that the United States’ allies have taken advantage of American largess and not paid their fair share.

NATO allies have promised to reach the goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense by 2024, but only five countries now meet that figure. Germany, for instance, which has Europe’s largest economy, now spends only 1.2 percent of G.D.P. on its military, though it increased spending 8 percent last year.

Mr. Pence said that while some NATO members met the spending goal, “many others, including some of our largest allies, still lack a credible path.” Mr. Trump, he said, “expects allies to meet that goal. For most, that means the time has come to do more.”

It is a time of great anxiety in Europe, in no small part because of the rise of Mr. Trump, who has brushed aside long-held tenets of American foreign policy.

He has praised Britain’s vote to exit the European Union, questioned the viability of that bloc and the relevance of NATO and expressed admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, while also upending policies and diplomacy on the Middle East, China and Mexico. Amid these shifting currents, Europeans are seeking signs that the United States remains a steadfast ally.

Applause for Mr. Pence’s speech was thin. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who spoke before the vice president, argued that increases in military spending must be gradual to be efficient and effective.

Ms. Merkel said that spending on other matters — like development aid, education for girls and women, and caring for refugees — also contributes to mutual security, as do stronger multilateral institutions like the European Union and the United Nations, which Mr. Trump has criticized.

Europe needs the support of the United States in the face of Islamist terrorism and Russian ambition, Ms. Merkel said, promising to continue to spend more to meet NATO goals. “We need the military strength of the United States,” she said.

But she warned against nationalism, without specifically naming Mr. Trump’s “America First” philosophy. “Will we be able to continue working well together, or will we all fall back into our individual roles?” she asked. “Let’s make the world better together, and then it will be better for each of us.”

Ms. Merkel is facing a re-election campaign in September in which the extent of increased military spending is already a hot political issue, as is her handling of the influx of refugees into Europe.

Mr. Pence’s message, similar to one offered by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, appeared to have done little to reassure Europeans who think that making NATO commitments conditional on spending undermines the alliance’s credibility and deterrence.

“American government officials need to go back to Washington recognizing that there are serious concerns in Europe, especially in Germany, about a host of issues from trade to foreign policy and NATO,” said Steven E. Sokol, the president of the American Council on Germany.

“Even though they gave reassurance, people here will hold them to it, and it will make matters worse if these reassurances just pay lip service to those concerns and make it that much harder to rebuild trust in what is an indispensable partnership,” he said.

Strobe Talbott, the president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, said Mr. Pence had accomplished his main task by conveying the administration’s commitment to NATO. “It had the big reassurance,” Mr. Talbott said. “He made clear he was speaking for the president.”

Later in the day, John F. Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, told the conference that Mr. Trump, as the White House has indicated, was “contemplating issuing a tighter, more streamlined version” of his controversial executive order barring citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Mr. Kelly added, “I will have, this time, the opportunity to work on a rollout plan.” The arrival of the earlier order was marked by confusion and distress, leaving many travelers stranded overseas. This time, he said, he would try to ensure that no one was caught in transit.

“If they are in motion from some distant land, when they arrive they will be allowed in,” he said. He said that would apply to green card and visa holders.

But most of the emphasis on Saturday was on Mr. Pence’s speech.

Thierry de Montbrial, executive chairman of the French Institute of International Relations, said Mr. Pence had done a good job of “delivering the gospel that people needed of the importance of the trans-Atlantic alliance.”

At the same time, Mr. de Montbrial said, “he said clearly that he wants Europe to be stronger, which in a way is a good change from the past, when Washington was skeptical about a stronger European defense.”

A senior White House foreign policy adviser, who was not authorized to discuss the trip and requested anonymity, said that Mr. Pence wanted to send a message of reassurance as well as obligation, both here and in Brussels, where he will meet with European Union and NATO officials on Monday.

Part of that message was strong words on Russia, even as Europeans wonder about Mr. Trump’s admiration for Mr. Putin.

Mr. Pence vowed that the United States would “hold Russia accountable, even as we search for new common ground which, as you know, President Trump believes can be found.” He said the United States would hold Russia to its commitments to reach a permanent cease-fire in Ukraine.

In his speech, Mr. Pence spoke of his first trip to Europe, in 1977 at age 18, and the impact a divided Berlin made on him when he crossed from West to East.

“The vibrant color of the free world fell away,” he said. “In that moment I came face to face with the choice facing the Western world between freedom and tyranny.”

Crediting past leaders in the East and West, he added: “By the grace of God, and through the leadership of Reagan, Thatcher, Kohl, Mitterrand, Havel, Walesa — the wall fell, Communism collapsed, and freedom prevailed.”

Correction:

An earlier version of this article misstated the surname of the executive chairman of the French Institute of International Relations. He is Thierry de Montbrial, not Thierry Montbrial.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: Pence Promises Europeans U.S. Commitment to NATO Is ‘Unwavering’. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe